PASADENA -- A small, bronze plaque embedded in the Rose Bowl's concrete wall greets visitors to the legendary stadium, marking its designation as a National Historic Landmark.

Stanford fans might find it -- and the benefits of an ongoing $152 million renovation project -- difficult to spot when their football team meets Wisconsin on New Year's Day in the 99th Rose Bowl game at the historic stadium.

But that plaque is the first thing Darryl Dunn, the Pasadena stadium's general manager, points to as he walks through, explaining why the ambitious makeover has swelled dramatically in both cost and duration.

Only three other stadiums in the country share National Historic Landmark status: Harvard Stadium, the Yale Bowl and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Walk inside, though, and the history of the Rose Bowl shows. In one section, the red paint on rows of seats is fading. In another, the concrete is stained with rusty orange-brown streaks.

"What we're trying to do -- what we've been doing, not trying -- is making the Rose Bowl viable for the future," Dunn says.

That goal has been delayed by funding shortages and construction delays, as the project's price tag has soared to more than $180 million.

That full version won't happen until around 2015 -- well after the 2014 BCS Championship and the 100th edition of the Rose Bowl Game.

"This isn't just a football stadium," says Dunn, looking out as the Southern California sun shimmered on week-old grass. "In many ways, it is hallowed ground."

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Even the Sistine Chapel needed a restoration. As the Rose Bowl aged, officials feared that it would be left behind in the stadium-building race. When talks of other grand blueprints sprung up in other corners of Los Angeles County, Pasadena didn't want to risk losing its clout or historic pride -- a fate that had snared other venues.

The Orange Bowl, the longtime home of the University of Miami, was demolished in 2008. The Cotton Bowl still stands, but lost its game three years ago to Cowboys Stadium, 20 miles west.

If the Rose Bowl hadn't decided to renovate, Dunn fears it might have lost out on the BCS bowl rotation, and eventually even UCLA home games. Its history as the site of Super Bowls, World Cup championships, Olympic soccer gold medal games and outdoor concerts featuring the Rolling Stones and U2 would be soon forgotten in the crush.

Newer Los Angeles stadiums -- if built -- would eventually get the business -- possibly even the Rose Bowl Game itself.

"You have to give credit to the city to continue to invest when temptations are across the country to scrap the original stadium for more modern ones," says Pasadena City Manager Michael Beck. "I think there's been a creative balance."

The problem was that no one foresaw a litany of increased costs. From bid overruns to increased labor costs to missing historical construction drawings, the Rose Bowl Operating Co., which Dunn heads, saw its bills quickly multiply. Two months ago, the company even discussed potential litigation against a fired contractor.

The stadium's national landmark status presented particular challenges. For example, the berm beneath the press box was considered part of the historic landscape; extra time and money was spent on trying to figure out ways to preserve it. After further analysis, unstable soil conditions forced the project team to dismantle the berm and work directly from the concourse level.

Dunn says that while he does not regret pursuing the project, he wishes they had established greater contingency.

"Pretend you have a 90-year-old house," he says. "Imagine all the behind-the-scenes stuff you have to do. It's huge."

Dunn believes in the project and urges patience.

Stanford fans will see a new scoreboard and video screen. A new press box pavilion has a control center and broadcast room. Four tunnels each on the north and south ends have already been widened from roughly 6﻿1/2 feet wide to nearly 15 feet. Work still remains, such as removing rows of unused seats and installing a hedge and field-level entrance for fans in lower-level seats to use.

Tournament of Roses president Sally Bixby said her organization maintains strong ties to the storied stadium and wants to see those ties continue.

"The Rose Bowl is an iconic facility," she said. "We're invested in preserving it."

1897: City of Pasadena purchased 10 acres of land in the Arroyo Seco area.1921: Tournament of Roses Association begins construction of Rose Bowl stadium.1922: Stadium completed. First football game played in the Rose Bowl.1923: Rose Bowl is officially dedicated.1949: Stadium is enlarged to seat 94,410, a $335,000 improvement.1992: The Rose Bowl is designated as an engineering landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers. 1993: $2 million renovation of the Rose Bowl is a gift from World Cup USA 1994 Inc. to the city of Pasadena. The field is widened to 224 feet and lengthened to 345 feet. Permanent ramps are installed for the disabled. New seating capacity -- 100,1842011: The Rose Bowl begins a $152 million renovation, including a new premium seating pavilion, widened tunnels and new LED video board. It is the largest investment in the history of the iconic structure. The majority of improvements are slated for completion before the 100th Rose Bowl Game and the next BCS National Championship game in January 2014. When complete the stadium will seat about 88,500.